


Kill the Man

by joonehunnit



Category: Monsta X (Band)
Genre: M/M, Multi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-10-07
Updated: 2020-02-14
Packaged: 2020-11-26 22:41:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 9,191
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20937941
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/joonehunnit/pseuds/joonehunnit
Summary: It’s not every day you’re mistaken for the newest member of one of the most dangerous criminal gangs in all of history. But today's that day, eh Wonho?— prompt credit to @alphabetaus on Tumblr





	1. The unfurling

Hoseok had a gun in his hand and he didn’t feel very fucking good about it.

All around him, he could hear grunts and smacks and fists flew and people fell to the floor clutching broken noses or twisted arms. The tube light was hanging dangerously low, flickering occasionally and throwing random faces into sharp relief.

“Are you planning to use that gun?!” a red-haired man yelled at him as he went barreling past, delivering punches to some poor guy’s mouth.

He would, if he knew how to use it. A man came running towards him with a snarl on his face and Hoseok scrambled backwards but tripped on a fallen rod. As he lost balance, his right hand swung up, neatly socking the man charging against him with the butt of the gun. He fell over, as did Hoseok onto his butt. “Nice!” The red-haired man congratulated, looking away for a split second from the man he was currently beating up.

_Thank you?_

Slowly, the fight boiled over and soon only the groans of injured men filled the rundown garage. Hoseok sat back up, wincing at the sharp pain at his hip. He remembered the gun and flung it to the side in distaste. He looked around for the red-haired man who seemed to be on his side, although what side he fought for Hoseok had absolutely no idea. He hoped it was the police; now that’s a medal he would like on his wall.

Noticing that no one was paying him any attention, he carefully trod towards the “door”, if you could call it that- a big opening had been blown up on the side of the wall and Hoseok was more than happy to exit through it. He had to find his niece’s shoe. That’s what he’d come for.

Or not. As he stepped one foot out, a voice called out. “Good fight dude! Car’s this way. Let’s go wash up before the cops come.”

Hoseok panicked. _So these guys weren’t the cops? Well, fuck. _He turned around, prepared to explain himself, to see the red-haired man grinning right into his face. Well, sort of, since his mouth was covered with a spiked leather mask.

The man took off the mask now, revealing plump lips stretched into- yep, a grin. Red Hair patted Hoseok on the back. “Nice punch there, neat and clean. Let’s go. Are you a new member?” With all his strength Hoseok tried to say ‘no’ but what came out was a squeak that sounded more like a ‘yes’ than anything else. “Hmm. Hyungwon picked well,” he said appreciatively. “We don’t do real names here, so you can call me Jooheon. You’d better think up a new name real quick. How does ‘Wonho’ sound? Has a ring to it, no?”

As he was speaking, Jooheon had led Hoseok out into the yard and to a massive open jeep.

“Hop in the back with the others,” he said and climbed in the driver’s seat. Still too numb to say anything, Hoseok climbed into the back, sitting next to a small purple-haired boy and a slender, platinum blonde who was currently packing nunchucks into a bag. Both nodded at Hoseok but didn’t say a word.

The jeep thundered to life, and tyres screeched as they made their escape from the garage which was now more rubble than anything else.

And that is the story of how Hoseok, a school gym teacher, unknowingly joined the most dangerous criminal gang in all of history.


	2. the misfit

The jeep trundled through an inconspicuous gate and stopped in front of a building that looked as shady as the one Jooheon and party just fought in. At the door, two alarmingly muscled men stood, scary-looking rifles slung from shoulders. Hoseok was shaking in his boots, but he got out when Red Hair- Jooheon- gave the word.

They trudged through the dust, walking up to the bouncers with Jooheon holding up an ID card. The man gave it a thorough check and looked at everyone keenly. Then he nodded, but as Hoseok passed him he held out a hand.

“Who is this one?” The man asked in a low, raspy voice. Jooheon grinned, unaware of Hoseok’s trembling and said, “Let him pass, Kimmie. He’s Hyungwon’s newest fledgeling. Although, he would make a very good bouncer I think. You better watch your back!” He called out sweetly, ushering Hoseok in even as ‘Kimmie’ gave him a look so cold it would freeze ice twice over.

“Thick as hell but they share two brain cells between the two of them,” Jooheon snorted, as they walked through a dark hallway with walls made of zinc sheets. “Must be all the hits they’ve taken to their head,” the purple-haired boy piped up, in a musical voice that threw Hoseok off-guard. Jooheon laughed. “Nice one, Ki.”

To Hoseok, he said, “Introductions. Grapehead here is Kihyun, you don’t want to underestimate him by size, he’s so small you wouldn’t know when he slips a knife between your ribs. Blondie there is Minhyuk, don’t fall for his pretty face, he spills blood with nunchucks as good as he flirts, and he’s _very _good at that.” He gazed admiringly at Minhyuk’s backpack, where the nunchucks were hidden, as though to drive home the point.

The two nodded again and looked expectantly at Hoseok, who realised it was his turn to introduce himself. “I’m Ho-Wonho. I’m err-I-“ “He’s Hyungwon’s newest recruit,” Jooheon finished for him. “Not much of a talker, are you? Better that way. You’re mean enough with a gun and we could put those muscles to good use.” He threw a wink at Hoseok, who was charmed despite himself.

By then, they’d reached a heavy wooden door that was as ornate as the doors they first passed through were plain. There were no bouncers here, even though it looked like an important door- just a biometric scanner. Hoseok turned to ask, but Jooheon beat him to it: “Cameras all around, lasers too. Any misstep could get you killed. You don’t have to worry when you’re with one of us though, and soon they’ll configure your body to pass through the lasers cleanly, too.” _Lasers? Body configuration? _Hoseok’s head was swimming. 

Jooheon pressed a finger to the scanner and a laser beam appeared to which he held his face. “Jooheon, fighter,” the machine announced, and the door shuddered open. On the other side, red lights were pulsating, but the floor was clean albeit empty. “Practice room,” Jooheon announced, “although you probably won’t spend much time here if Hyungwon sent you on the field already.” Hoseok didn’t know who the hell Hyungwon was, but he nodded anyway.

They walked through the hall but cut a sharp left at the centre, towards another set of doors. Here, there were bouncers, scarier than the last. Even Jooheon stood up straight, not a smile in sight.

“Mission accomplished. Here to see Hyungwon.” The guy nodded, eyes surveying everyone before coming to rest on Hoseok. “New recruit,” Jooheon said, following his line of sight to Hoseok. Once again, the guy nodded.

He pressed a discreet button somewhere behind him, and the doors swung open to reveal a luxurious room, complete with red carpets and maroon velvet drapes. A chandelier glittered from the high ceiling.

In the centre of the room was a massive oak table, clutter-free save for a spanking new iMac. _A turbo-charged Godfather, _Hoseok thought as his eyes roved around the room. The massive leather chair behind the table swung around and a man got to his feet.

He was tall and lanky, decked in all black, with just a thin gold chain around his neck, over the turtleneck. His hair was ashy blonde, small face overpowered by steely eyes and full lips.

He moved around the table, walking up to Jooheon, who was still standing straight, eyes following the man’s movement.

“Well done, Jooheon,” the man said, his voice low but oddly sleepy-sounding. A firm handshake was exchanged between the two. “Thanks, boss. It was messy, but we cleaned up. The goods are in the back.” Thick lips stretched to a slight smile. “As expected of you.” The eyes found Hoseok. “And this is?”

Jooheon showed some confusion, but his straight-faced mask was back in a split second. “Wonho. Your new recruit…?”

_This is the end of me, _Hoseok thought, hearts sinking to the pits of his stomach. _I’m going to die at the hands of this string bean, and I couldn’t even find my niece’s shoe. _

“Oh okay. Well, I trust you, Jooheon. He can stay.” Again, confusion made its way to Jooheon’s face, but he simply nodded. _Wait, so he thinks Jooheon brought me in and Jooheon thinks the string bean recruited me. What a mess. _

He was about to say something but quailed as the full force of the man’s gaze landed on him. He leisurely looked Hoseok up and down, before making eye contact again. “You look well enough to fight. What are your weapons? Have you decided?”

Once again, Jooheon came to his rescue. “We saw him fight. He’s good with a gun- any part of it. Knocked a guy’s head in with the butt of it earlier. Also, he doesn’t talk much. He might prove trustworthy with details of the kill.” _KILL? _All Hoseok really wanted now was to melt into a puddle and disappear.

The man nodded once again, not taking his eyes off Hoseok but saying to Jooheon, “He’s under your command, then. Train him, watch him for a month. If he’s good, he stays. If he’s bad, there’s always the dungeons.” He smiled, coldly. Hoseok suddenly felt lightheaded.

They all moved to leave. “Kihyun, Minhyuk, stay here for the debriefing. Jooheon, go on with the new one.”

The three moved to take a seat at the table and Hoseok and Jooheon exited.

“How old are you?” Jooheon asked as they walked through the practice room again, in another direction. Hoseok replied, “25.” “Oh, a year older than me then. 24. Do you prefer Wonho or Hyung?” “Ho—Wonho is fine. I never liked being called Hyung and anyway, it’s just a year’s difference.” He pulled a face and Jooheon laughed.

He led Hoseok into a locker room of sorts. “We need to get you fitted for regular and combat clothes,” he said, ruffling through an open locker while pressing a bell on the side. “I’m sure we have combat clothes for you here, but a stylist will come in to take your measurements and pick out ordinary and business clothes for you.”

He pulled out some jet black material, just as a pudgy man came in. “Kay, can you measure him? Business and regular clothes.”

In a few minutes, the man had all his measurements and had asked Hoseok a variety of questions including “What gun do you wield?” (“Fit him for a Glock first,” Jooheon quipped) “Do you like your face?” (“He has to, with a face like that”) “Hair up or down?” (“Down, dye it and give him a bandanna like Minhyuk’s”).

“Off with you now,” Jooheon ordered, and the man scuttled off, measuring tape trailing behind him. He turned to Hoseok and gave him the black clothing. “Try these, should fit. There are shoes in the changing room. These belonged to a previous recruit, he was of a similar build. No, don’t ask what happened to him, you don’t want to know,” Jooheon supplied, in answer to Hoseok’s questioning glance, and pointed him towards the changing rooms.

As he changed into the shirt and pants, Jooheon kept up a one-sided conversation from outside. “Really strange that Hyungwon- that was him, by the way- didn’t remember that he’d recruited you. For someone with an IQ of 150, he has pretty shite memory. Were you one of his outsourcing companies’ choices? Well how would you know, you probably just showed up where you had to, no?”

Hoseok stepped out of the changing room, and Jooheon looked him over with a critical eye. “Yes, hmm, that fits quite nicely. Chest’s a bit too open, don’t you think? We’ll have the stylist fix a zip on that. Here, look in the mirror.”

Hoseok was pretty impressed by what he saw in the full-length mirror. His plain t-shirt and jeans were replaced by a pair of black fitted pants with a gun holster and a thick black shirt that opened at the chest rather flatteringly. The collar could be pulled up, as Jooheon demonstrated, to form a protective panel that blocked his neck from attack. The shirt itself had many smaller pockets and linings made for weapons.

The boots were brand new, standard combat boots, but Hoseok was amazed when Jooheon pressed a finger to one side of the sole to reveal a gap small enough for a poison bottle, and then to the other side to release a spike. “This comes in handy,” Jooheon explained, “in two situations- when you need to kill with a poisoned spike, or when you need to kill yourself when held hostage.” He grinned at Hoseok’s shocked expression and said, “neither is likely, it’s more of a worst-case scenario and hasn’t happened in a long time. But you need to know.”

While Hoseok changed back into his regular clothes, Jooheon lettered his name onto a locker and put his new clothes in one by one. They left the lockers to find Hoseok’s new rooms, the passcode to which he had been given by another sour-faced guard a few minutes ago.

“You’re probably sharing with someone. New recruits don’t get their own rooms at the start,” Jooheon said as they walked to the apartments, within the same building. Hoseok was still in awe of how labyrinthian the place was, despite its deceptively small exterior.

He suddenly remembered he was in the wrong place.

“Jooheon,” he began, as they fast-walked, “You don’t understand, I wasn’t recruited, I was just at the right place at the wrong time, I don’t belong here. I was actually looking for my-”

Jooheon came to a stop, but the look he gave Hoseok was not of anger, but compassion. “It’s okay, Wonho. We were all like you when we first joined. Some joined voluntarily, some had no choice, some are using this gang as a means to an end. I’m not sure which you fall under, but you’ll adjust to it.

We’re all misfits in the end, but being a part of the biggest criminal gang in history gives you a family, of sorts.”

Hoseok felt faint.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Looks–  
Kihyun: https://images.app.goo.gl/CL34kC6ABjMy6VMU8  
Minhyuk: https://images.app.goo.gl/wnncHwYwNZFt39rH9  
Jooheon: https://images.app.goo.gl/4uTEGcodBseM7DJx7  
Wonho: https://images.app.goo.gl/XTiAtRENV45hmH7PA  
Hyungwon: https://images.app.goo.gl/iZaEWtvwvXYYWrQQ6


	3. the recruit

Jooheon led Hoseok down a long corridor and Kihyun and Minhyuk fell into step behind them. “Debrief done, all good. He’s pretty impressed with Wonho here,” Minhyuk said, smiling at Hoseok. “You look calm now as well, Minhyuk,” Jooheon quipped, “Were you worried?”

“You know how difficult this would’ve been, Joo,” Minhyuk said as he began removing his gun holster, “It took us 30 days to hunt down this gang even with IM’s advanced skills. If they hadn’t slipped up at the last minute, I don’t think we would’ve done as well as we did. It may have even turned out like Operation Shoot Out.” Everyone but Hoseok shuddered at that, but no one explained it.

Kihyun picked up where Minhyuk left off. “He’s right, Jooheon. We did very well given the circumstances, though, so well done to you for taking it on. You knew Shownu didn’t want to do it but you took it on anyway and it worked marvellously.” Jooheon modestly inclined his head at the compliment, but said nothing.

Instead, he pushed open a door to the left, and they entered, Minhyuk heaving a sigh of relief. A carpeted hallway stretched before them, and much like a hotel, on either side there were doors with room numbers. In place of hallway decorations, however, weapons lined the walls in cases, with names over each section. The three fighters walked to their names and removed their weapons from their person, using fingerprint ID to unlock the cases and putting their weapon inside.

Over his shoulder, Kihyun explained, “Wonho, these are where we keep our weapons. They’re customised for us based on what we like using in combat. For me its knives,” he said, pointing at the cabinet, “for Minhyuk its nunchucks and other martial arts equipments,” another point at Minhyuk, who was hanging up his nunchucks, “and guns for Jooheon although he’s just as quick with his fists or anything lying around him. No one touches the other’s gear.”

Jooheon added, “This is why Hyungwon asked you what your weapon was. Once you’ve decided and your skill has been tested, you’ll have your own armoury customised for you, with IM making all the tech alterations. Ah, speak of the devil.”

“Devil yourself,” a voice said. A tousled head with round glasses popped out of a room three doors down from Hoseok. “How did it go?” He nodded in relief at the ‘okay’ and ‘not bad’ he heard back, then stepped out, in shorts and a black t-shirt, to walk towards Hoseok. “Hi, I’m IM,” he said, holding out a hand that Hoseok shook in a firm grasp. “I’m Wonho, the newest recruit,” he answered, much more confidently. “Awesome. You haven’t been inducted yet, right? Okay, but still, come see what I do here, since you already know what the others do.”

Hoseok looked at Jooheon, who nodded and waved him along. “I’m in suite 501, come find me if you need anything. I don’t think you’ll need to do anything else today, so relax and settle in.”

They entered 499, which was IM’s suite, and his mouth dropped open in surprise. He’d expected a hotel-room-like suite, but what he saw was a high-tech room that looked more like the inside of a spaceship than anything else. The place was white, lit up in low blue lighting and multiple built-in screens were fitted into the walls. A large window opened up to a beautiful river- not a real window, Hoseok realised, when the view changed to ice-capped mountains.

“I change the view based on my mood,” IM commented from behind him. “Welcome to my lair. I’m the gang’s head of tech, the youngest at 22,” he said, quite proudly. “I track Hyungwon’s targets, update our technology to the most advanced, and hack into whatever the boss needs me to. Obviously, I also build firewalls and protection- every door in this building can be controlled or overridden by me, as can every weapon.”

He gestured to an opening to the side of the room. “Those lead to my private quarters, so if you ever want to have a drink, you know where to find me. Though I doubt you’ll be able to enter the front door without me,” he laughed, and Hoseok believed him.

They left the ‘lair’ to find Hoseok’s room, which was just opposite Jooheon’s, although they walked the entire length of the corridor and back to find it. “Suite 603, yeah? Alright, I’ll rig it with wifi and connectivity. There’s probably a brand new phone in there that you’ll need to use to access it. Numbers are pre-saved. Come find me if you need anything, okay?” He gave Hoseok a friendly pat on the back and returned to his room.

Hoseok entered his new quarters. Now this is what a hotel room looks like, he thought as he surveyed the place. It was neat and clean, with two single beds that could be joined, a flatscreen TV and a bathroom with a jacuzzi _and _a shower. On the desk was a brand new MacBook Pro and the newest iPhone, which was probably what IM was talking about.

He sat on the edge of the bed- his bed, and thought about what he’d gotten himself into.

He was just a school gym teacher. Every day for the last 3 years he had woken up at 6.30 AM and gone to school to referee games and organise dodgeball practice and yell from the sidelines as 10-year-olds played ball. At 4.30 he trudged home after organising paperwork.

The only interesting part of his day was going to the gym for hours on end- he lifted weights and punched bags, sometimes people, for so many years that the only evidence of his baby fat was his cheeks- everything else was bulging muscle. He had no one at home, no partner to have dinner with, and his parents were in another country so calls and visits were scarce.

Maybe the fact that he couldn’t speak up about who he was, was because he unconsciously didn’t want to. Hoseok realised he’d wanted a break from his routine for a very long time, some adventure, some fun. He couldn’t get any of that unless he quit completely. Maybe this was for the best- there would be no questions asked, no fear of future employment, no commitments, as long as he fought well, beat people up and gained his team’s trust. And he was pretty good at that, and he’d got a head start without knowing.

Steeling himself, Hoseok decided he would give himself a month. A month to play Wonho and make himself useful in the gang. He wouldn’t think about what would happen if he failed- he knew as long as he put his heart into it, he could do anything. Just as long as he didn’t get himself killed in the process.

He got up to check out the phone and the laptop. There was nothing on it except for the contacts that IM had mentioned. He opened the messages app to see that he had a text. _The gang has a text blast service? Next level, _Hoseok thought.

_To: _ ** _New Recruit, 603_ **

_Welcome to your chance to be a part of something bigger._

_If there is no roommate in your room on your first day, consider that room only yours._

_Find your skills. Train hard, train well. Use your head._

_Exercise cool logic in the face of fear. Make a friend, make more enemies._

_And remember, what you were before is not who you are now. Good luck to you. _

He looked around, goosebumps suddenly prickling his skin at the words. So he’d gotten the whole room to himself, which was a blessing. But being a part of something bigger? From what Hoseok saw in the morning, he couldn’t be sure. Maybe he could ask Jooheon what that meant.

He scrolled down the contacts list, finding Jooheon’s name after a Jaebum. After forwarding the message he got, he added:

** _New Recruit, 603_ **

_Hello, is this Jooheon?_

** _Jooheon, Fighter_ **

_Yes_

_Wonho?_

_Better change your name if it’s you_

_Make it like mine, it’ll change on everyone’s list_

_<_ ** _New Recruit, 603 _ ** _changed their name to _ ** _Wonho, Recruit_ ** _>_

** _Wonho, Recruit_ **

_Is this name clear enough?_

_I just wanted to ask you what that message I forwarded means_

_I found it on the phone in my new room_

_“Part of something bigger” ??_

** _Jooheon, Fighter_ **

_Yeah this is clear_

_Don’t worry about that, think of it as Hyungwon’s_

_marketing gimmick lol_

_We do good things here, though, Wonho_

_You’ll learn once you start training_

_It also involves you learning about the gang’s history_

_Have you settled in well?_

** _Wonho, Recruit_ **

_I’m okay so far, still soaking things in_

_But I will do my best_

_Don’t worry about my outburst earlier, you were right I was worried_

** _Jooheon, Fighter_ **

_Don’t worry about it ahaha_

_We’ll start your induction tomorrow, for now rest_

_I’ll come get you at 730 for dinner downstairs_

_IM freak you out? He’s a geeky kid but a sweet one_

** _Wonho, Recruit_ **

_Nah he’s alright, seems to be a genius_

_I’ll see you at dinner_

_Can I make personal phone calls on this phone or do I need to use my old one?_

** _Jooheon, Fighter_ **

_Use your old one, don’t use this for anything_

_other than work_

_You can make two calls now, but get IM to work his_

_magic on your old phone _

_So you’re never tracked/ hacked/ blah blah I’m sure_

_he’ll explain it to you, he loves that kinda stuff_

_See you later_

Hoseok clicked off on the chat and opened a fresh one with IM.

** _Wonho, Recruit_ **

_Thanks for showing me around_

_Can you set up a block on my old phone? Jooheon told me to ask you_

_Need to make some personal calls_

** _IM, the Wall_ **

_I can indeed_

_Jooheon no doubt told you that you can make_

_two calls only_

_Make those and come see me at dinner at our table_

_Won’t take more than a few minutes to set up_

_Bit busy now, hacking into the Int’l Drug Association website_

_See you then _ 💕

Hoseok scoffed at the heart emoji, then when to get his old phone. It wasn’t actually old- he’d bought it only a few months ago- but compared to the sleek new phone sitting in his other hand, he could really see the difference. He took a deep breath, dialled a number and hit ‘call’.


	4. the chill

“Hey mom.”

“Son! How have you been? It’s been so long since we talked to you, we thought you’d forgotten us!” Hoseok rolled his eyes at his mother’s theatrics. He had called her only a week ago, and that was because they were on a vacation without cell reception. So really, it wasn’t his fault.

“I’m good, ma. I’m just quickly calling to tell you I’ve- I’ve quit my job.” At this he hesitated, not sure what to say about his _new _job.

“What?” She sounded worried, but not shocked. “Did you quit or did they throw you out?” “I quit- well, I will quit today.”

He heard his mother sigh. “As long as you’re happy, Hoseok. Is this new job better? Do they pay you more?”

Hoseok realised he hadn’t discussed pay with anyone, so he neatly evaded the question. “It’s hard to explain mom. It has a lot to do with tech… and garages… and keeping lists.” _Of people I’ve killed, _he added silently.

“Well, whatever it is, I hope you’re happy. And don’t you go sending any money to us. We’re having the best time here, so you spent all that on yourself. And get a partner!” She finished and hung up.

Once again, Hoseok rolled his eyes. His mother had been hounding him for not dating anyone over the last few years, but he didn’t have the time and couldn’t be bothered with the effort. Maybe he’d find someone here. Never mind- even the thought of it seemed ridiculous.

The second call he made was to the school office. He explained that he would be quitting as he’d found a better job and was debating wishing them luck but decided he wasn’t that nice a person. Promising to file his paperwork the next week, he cut the call and plopped back down on the bed. Moments later, he had dozed off.

In two hours, he opened his eyes groggily to the sound of the doorbell ringing. “Who is it?” He called, and yelped in surprise when an image projected onto the wall from the door, showing a grinning Jooheon.

Hoseok got to his feet and opened the door. “Did the projector startle you?” Jooheon asked, and laughed when Hoseok nodded. “Yeah, it gets us all the first time. It’s really helpful though. Anyway, it’s dinner time. Can I see your room?”

As Hoseok changed into the basic t-shirt and jeans Jooheon had thoughtfully brought with him, the latter looked around the room and then plopped down onto the bed, sighing. “I think you got the best bed. I usually try everyone’s when they first move in, so I’m sort of an expert.”

After Hoseok had pulled on his sneakers, the two went out into the corridor, stopping by a discreet door. Jooheon pressed a finger to a panel on the side, which announced him once again as ‘Jooheon, fighter.’

“A tracker at the dining room door?” Hoseok asked. Jooheon nodded as they entered. “Hyungwon likes to make sure we eat everyday. If your name doesn’t pop up on the list, he’ll call you and ask you why you didn’t eat.”

“Sounds like a considerate boss,” Hoseok quipped, and Jooheon threw him a smile. “Sarcasm? Nice. I know being the mafia boss doesn’t fetch you personality points, but you’ll find that Hyungwon is not that sort of a boss.”

They’d reached the dinner hall by then- a massive carpeted hall that looked more like a Harry Potter set than anything else. In the middle, tables and benches stood in a long line, some occupied, some empty. To one side, long tables was groaning with all sorts of dishes on it. Hoseok’s mouth fell open. Jooheon turned to him and asked, “You haven’t been set a diet, right? No? In that case you have full access to everything here, until you’ve been set one. Knock yourself out, champ.” Jooheon slapped him on the shoulder and went to grab a plate at the ‘Protein-heavy’ table. Not knowing where to go, and also because he saw chicken at the table, Hoseok followed him.

With plates piled with food, the two staggered to a table off the side, sitting opposite each other. Two seconds later, IM slid onto the bench next to Hoseok, his plate full of ‘brain food’, as he explained.

They ate in silence for a few minutes until something suddenly occurred to Hoseok. “IM,” he said, turning to the bespectacled boy currently munching on a walnut, “your contact name says ’the Wall’, what does that mean?”

“I think let’s start by telling you the teams in the mafia, Jooheon will help. So first there’s Hyungwon, he’s a league of his own. Then there’s the Hand, which is basically all his right-hand men who have access to almost all top-secret information and usually advise him on things. Not sure if you’ve met any of them yet. You haven’t eaten in a while, take a bite of your food.” Hoseok did as he was told, digging into the potato mash that was delicious.

“Good. After the Hand, comes the Wall. That’s what I head. It’s self-explanatory, really, but we’re in charge of self-defence, like a wall or a moat. We’re also called that because in case of attack- whether cyber, surgical or physical- we can trigger defences in a matter of seconds. Jooheon, you go on, I’m hungry.”

As IM got back to eating, Jooheon picked up the explanation. “Right uuuhhhh so after the Wall, the hierarchy is lateral. So every team after this is as powerful as the other, till a point. There’s the Scientists, who spend time on research and strategising and making new weapons with their team of engineers.

Then there’s the Fighters, which me, Kihyun and Minhyuk fall under, and so will you if you pass the recruitment stage. There’s the Economists, who handle the finances, make plans, allot money blah blah all those economics things.

And finally at the bottom of the food chain, there’s the Recruits, aka you, who’ve been picked from a pool for reasons only Hyungwon knows. Recruits have to prove themselves in a month as well as showcase what team they’re best suited for. If you don’t fit a team,” Jooheon shrugged, “You’re out. And that’s how we’re all divided- well, pretty much. Man, I’m parched.” He got off the bench to get a fresh glass of water.

Hoseok ate his food in silence, trying to process all he had just heard and commit it to memory. He was pretty terrified about fitting in, considering his “brave feat” so far was actually socking a guy in the face by mistake as he tripped over. He hoped once training started tomorrow he’d find something he was good at.

“Hey pass us your personal phone, I’ll set up the block,” IM said while wiping his plate clean of gravy with the last piece of bread. “It’ll take the night because I’ll get someone to do it. I’ll have it dropped off in the morning.” After pocketing the phone, he said ‘bye’ to Hoseok and yelled one out to Jooheon, and swung off the bench to smack headfirst into a broad chest.

“Easy, midget,” came a voice from a good 1 feet over Hoseok’s head. IM laughed and said, “sorry Shownu,” before walking past him, only to turn around with frantic eyes and mouth at Hoseok:_ Don’t say anything, just nod and look him in the eye!_

“And who’re you?” The voice directed to Hoseok, who forced himself to look up.

Set in a sculpted tan face with plump lips and sharp eyebrows, dark brown eyes stared back at him.

Hoseok felt a chill run down his spine.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, this took me a while to update... but with all that is happening with MX, I was wondering if continuing this FF was the right decision. Let me know if I should continue!


	5. the practice

Shownu exited the office, blood boiling but mouth shut.

It was very like Jooheon to waylay his plans and jump ahead of him. They shared a relationship almost unsettled- Shownu saw him as a younger brother, sweet and bubbly and always approachable, but times like these, when Jooheon would take the lead and show his experienced side, was when Shownu felt put in his place, and he didn’t like that feeling. He didn’t take risks but Jooheon did, and apparently that was what had made Hyungwon angry at his second-in-command.

“You could’ve taken the lead,” Hyungwon had said, coldly. “Jooheon is good, _very _good, and he’s _this _close to getting your ass booted out of the Hand and into the Fighters, without even knowing it. How do you plan to hold on to your position?”

Stiff as a rod, Shownu hadn’t shifted eyes, simply saying, “I don’t take risks. I calculate, and by calculations, this wouldn’t-shouldn’t- have worked. There was a variable that allowed Jooheon this victory.”

Hyungwon had gestured to the screen, where a CCTV clipping was playing on loop. “Here’s your variable.” Shownu had moved closer, to watch a heavily muscled man in jeans and a t-shirt thrust his gun into an attacker’s face in a dingy garage earlier in the day. “With his help, they won. Our team was horribly outnumbered despite Jooheon’s detailed planning. This man was the key; Jooheon’s brought him in. He’s good, and this makes Jooheon’s name more likely to be brought up as a candidate when the next round of the Hand’s Appointments come up next month.”

Shownu clearly remembered looking at Hyungwon in confusion, saying, “But you’re the only one who suggests candidates.” “Exactly,” Hyungwon had replied, grey eyes as frigid as ever.

Shownu had turned on his heel without another word and exited. Now walking down the corridor, though, his teeth were gritted at the unfairness of the situation. If Jooheon wasn’t a friend, he would’ve finished him a long time ago. Shownu didn’t handle competition very well- in fact, he didn’t handle it at all.

He pressed his thumb to the scanner outside the dining room, ignoring the voice that announced “Shownu, the Hand” and walking straight into the room towards where Jooheon usually sat. The boy wasn’t there now- Shownu could see him getting a glass of water while chatting up a stringy new recruit. He saw IM at the bench, though, and his eyes narrowed when he saw who IM was talking to. The muscled man from the video.

Chattering away, IM didn’t notice Shownu until he bumped into his chest. “Easy, midget,” he said to the boy, who laughed and said “Sorry Shownu,” before moving behind him, no doubt warning the recruit behind his back.

“And who’re you?” Shownu asked the recruit, who was looking up at him like a deer caught in headlights. He could visibly see him muster up his courage to get up and say, “I’m Wonho. New recruit.” Surprisingly, he held out his hand too.

Shownu hesitated for a moment, then shook hands firmly, pleased that the recruit was at least maintaining eye contact.

“I heard you made a big splash at the fight today.” Hoseok only nodded. “Nice one. Not something I would’ve done, putting a rookie on the field, but it worked out well for you, considering you’re, well, still alive. Ah, and the man of the hour appears.”

Jooheon stood behind Hoseok, his demeanour calm, but lip-biting revealing his nervousness. “Shownu. I would apologise for today, but I had to do it. We were really close to it and I didn’t- I didn’t think we did wrong by taking the risk. Instead, I’ll apologise for leaving you in the dark. I knew you’d shut it down so I had to.” Despite his rage, Shownu felt a spark of approval for the boy. Only 24, he was the quickest at learning the ropes, steady and never giving excuses for his actions. It seemed that the student was slowly becoming the master; it was only fair for Shownu to let this slide. But he couldn’t bring himself to say that.

Instead, he said simply, “Keep me in the loop the next time” and, nodding slightly at Hoseok, turned to get his dual servings of protein and brain food.

—————————

“Shit, I thought I was going to get yelled at,” Jooheon gasped, dramatically clutching his chest with one hand while balancing water in the other. “Is he that scary?” Hoseok asked. “Even IM looked pretty psyched out.”

As Jooheon explained how he defied Shownu’s strategy and took the team out by himself on the mission earlier in the day, Hoseok’s mouth dropped open. He slowly came to realise the risks Jooheon had taken and, while he was in awe of the man’s guts, he was also stunned at how important a role he, Hoseok, played in the fight.

“No pressure, though,” Jooheon grinned at Hoseok’s expression. “Let’s call it beginner’s luck.” _Probably the only luck I’ll have here, _Hoseok thought but didn’t say.

After dinner, they headed back to their suites, Jooheon commenting that Kihyun and Minhyuk liked to clean their weapons after a big fight, which is why they didn’t show up for dinner. At the door, he turned to Hoseok and said, “I’ll get the stylist to leave fresh clothes at your door, you can’t keep wearing mine. Tomorrow we start training, the real deal, so be up and ready by 8 AM because I’ll knock.” Again, he slapped Hoseok on the shoulder, then waved him off to his room while he entered his.

Hoseok decided to take a long shower to wash off the dirt of the day and, as the hot water ran down his body and worked the stress out of his joints, he inevitably got to thinking.

About when he’d be discovered as a fraud and what would be done with him when they did find out. About the kids he’d suddenly abandoned at work, about the papers he wasn’t planning to send in because taxes and funds and salaries seemed like a faraway thing. About training tomorrow, and if he would actually find something he was good at.

He wrapped a soft towel around himself after the shower, still locked in his thoughts. Realising belatedly that he didn’t have clothes to sleep in, he looked around the bathroom to see if there was anything that could double up as shorts, to find actual shorts on the counter, brand new and in a clear hygienic bag. Yet another thoughtful gesture in this strange place, he thought as he pulled the shorts on.

He crawled into the soft bed, deciding he would join the two tomorrow to make one massive bed to sleep in. It was going to be a restless night, he thought, but as he sank into the pillows and closed his eyes, sleep seemed to come almost immediately.

————————

At 8 AM the next morning, Hoseok was out of bed, all washed up and just wondering what to wear when a knock came at his door. It was Jooheon, as expected, face obstructed by a towering box that said “Wonho: Clothing” on the front.

Hoseok quickly took it and set it down, opening it to look for something to wear. “Wear something comfy and stretchable,” Jooheon advised, leaning against the door frame, himself in a basic black tracksuit with huge headphones around his neck. Hoseok quickly grey track pants and a sleeveless shirt and carried a headband and armbands just in case things got rigorous.

As they walked down the carpeted corridor, Jooheon explained that today they were going to test Hoseok’s strength and endurance as well as give him a free run of the weapons to see what he would catch on to the most.

“Think of it as a Hunger Games sort of situation, except there are no trainers and you don’t have to eat people at the end of the story,” he laughed. This time, they stopped in front of a golden door which instantly opened to reveal a basic lift. “Training is downstairs so the sound doesn’t get out,” Jooheon supplied in answer to Hoseok’s questioning glance.

They went all the way down, Hoseok not realising how deep into the ground they went until the doors opened up into a cavernous underground room. Once again, the room was high-tech, all grey and blue lights. A giant circular platform stood in the centre, with targets arranged on the walls around it. Hoseok also saw four observation rooms around the room looking down at the platform. The two walked into a nearby entrance which led to a room full of weapons, and Jooheon gestured at Hoseok to pick one.

Not knowing what to start with, Hoseok finally picked the boxing gloves, deciding he could at least start with something he knew he was good at, and that was throwing punches.

As he put on the gloves, Jooheon said, “I’m going up to the observation deck to watch. Give it your all, when you get tired come back and get another weapon. Try to get through at least 5 today- I’m cutting you some slack because you fought yesterday.” Hoseok noted the change in demeanour; the man who was friendly 5 minutes ago was in trainer mode, stern and serious. He appreciated it. Nodding, he walked out to the platform as Jooheon made his way to the observation box and turned a mic on.The second Hoseok stepped onto the platform, a massive MMA human-sized dummy lowered from the ceiling, and Hoseok saw cameras turn towards him, quite likely to record his movements and keep track of them for later. Jooheon gave him a nod and sat back, and Hoseok began.

He punched at the dummy for a good 10 minutes, a jab here, a roundhouse kick there. After a point he ripped off his gloves, preferring to feel the fabric of the dummy with his bare skin and continued punching. He felt his adrenaline soaring so decided to turn it on other weapons. Stepping off the platform, he went and picked up a bow and arrow set, walking back to the platform to find a target already lit up and in sight. Hoseok had dabbled in archery and needed to prove to Jooheon that he could use different weapons- anything that would keep him here, he surmised, as he strapped on the protective gear but leaving his hand bare.

Once again he fired off a few arrows each hitting an 8 or 9, one even shooting straight into the 10 (he tried not to let the surprise show on his face). After archery, he moved to nunchucks, which he failed at, having narrowly missed slicing his thigh open with it. He pointedly avoided eye contact with Jooheon. After the nunchucks came the knife, which he was not half bad at, if only to chop tomatoes. Finally,at Jooheon’s request, he picked up a Glock and fired off a few rounds into the target, and was satisfied to see none of the bullets missed even though his hands were shaking so badly he was sure Jooheon had seen it.

By then, two hours had passed, and Hoseok was a mess of sweat and adrenaline, but Jooheon called for him to stop and made his way down.

“You’re good,” Jooheon said, holding out a towel that Hoseok gratefully took. “You’re very good with your hands, quick on your feet, I could see you calculate your next move precisely as you punched. Your nunchucks skills are a 0”-Hoseok laughed-“but I think we could fit you out with an archery kit as well, and you already have the Glock holster.

"And I like the way you fight- you like to use your hands, feel the attack on your skin without some protective armour. It’s a good way to give it your all.” Hoseok glowed at the praise, and Jooheon’s friendly smile returned, dimples on the show as he patted Hoseok on the back.

Up on another unlit observation deck, Hyungwon sat back, a small smile playing on his lips too.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I got a few more kudos after posting the last chapter, which I assumed meant I've got the signal to carry on writing. Hope you enjoy!


	6. the meeting

Jooheon and Hoseok made their way through the labyrinthian corridors back to the now-familiar weapons hallway. Turning to Hoseok, Jooheon said, “Right, you’re done with me for now– I have to go find Shownu and give him a brief of what went down during the fight.” He grimaced, then added, “I’ve been here for a year but it’s still suuuuper awkward to brief Shownu on a mission I undercut him for.” He turned on his heels and left the way he came, waving as he walked.

Hoseok, now on his own, felt a little out of place. He knew a grand total of four people, but then again, he didn’t know which rooms Minhyuk and Kihyun were in, or if they would be willing to chat with him about absolutely nothing. He decided against knocking on IM’s door as well, assuming he would be super busy.

Turning on his heels as Jooheon did, he walked out the door to set off exploring, hoping none of the lasers would slice his body. Mercifully, he made it through a couple of open doors until he reached the food hall. That was when he faced the conundrum– how the heck was he to get in?

He raised his index to try the scanner, but a slender finger beat him to it, making the scanner announce “Regis. Welcome.” _King? _“It’s my father’s title”, said the voice behind him. “I’m just a placeholder.”

Hoseok twirled to find himself face to face with Hyungwon, whose light grey eyes were a touch higher than Hoseok’s head. He leaned over again, this time to push the door open. With a curt “come”, he entered the dining hall and Hoseok had no chance but to follow.

“My father goes by Regis. A bit pretentious, I would say, but in his absence, the title falls on me no matter how much I hate it.” As he was speaking, Hyungwon had picked up a plate and was precisely placing food items on it– salmon, some seaweed, avocado salad. “My diet varies depending on what role I’m expected to fulfil during the day. Today I need to catch up on my training, my father says. Would you believe a man of 65 is still controlling his son who is 25?” Without knowing, Hoseok had been steered to a table and now found himself sitting opposite Hyungwon, who was looking at him with expectant eyes.

“You’re- you’re 25? I’m 25 too,” Hoseok said a tad nervously, hands in a twisted knot under the table. “I know,” Hyungwon said. “I saw your school records”. Hoseok’s head jerked up in shock, eliciting a cold chuckle from the grey-eyed man. “You think I didn’t know who you were? I looked you up the second you left my office because apart from me, no one else does the recruiting. Don’t worry–“ he cut off Hoseok’s stammered apologies, “Jooheon is not in trouble. Neither are you. I’ve been waiting for you, Hoseok.”

“Wh-what?”

“Well, someone like you, if not you in particular. Someone who could save my organisation. You don’t know what we do, do you?” Hoseok shook his head no, still mute.

“You’ll find out soon. Until then, all I have to say to you is this. _Vivere._” With this, Hyungwon walked away, leaving Hoseok to figure out what the blooming hell just happened.

———————————————

He walked out of the food hall, dazed. _Vivere? Someone like you? _What was this, some dystopian Adele song that he wanted no part of?

He came to a stop when he realised he’d walked the wrong way from the door, into a passage he hadn’t seen before. In front of him, on a cement wall that looked rather worse for wear, was a gold plaque topped with a portrait in what looked like enamel. There was something ethereal about the faded portrait; despite the chips and cracks, Hoseok could find himself instinctively being drawn in. He then noticed the text, archaic lettering that spelt out the words:

PUGNA. NON. FINEM.

Sounds vaguely like Latin, Hoseok thought to himself, then snorted. For such a high-tech place, they sure loved their dead languages. He was about to lay a finger on the plague when he heard someone call his name in the distance.

“Wonho, are you here? I’ve got to introduce you to the rest of the team! There’s a mission.” Hoseok froze, then turned around and walked back the way he came. He rounded the corner just as Jooheon came to a stop in front of him.

“Oh good, were you getting a bite to eat? Never mind that, come now. We have a mission that you might just get to be a part of”, Jooheon said, rubbing his hands gleefully as he led Hoseok away. They took a few turns, stopping to scan their fingers into the scanners at a gilded door (“hey, you’ve been registered already,” Jooheon said when the scanner announced “Wonho, Recruit”).

They entered what looked to Hoseok like a conference room until he noticed that the walls were screens and the ceiling open to the starry sky. Around the round table, he saw a few familiar faces sitting– Kihyun, Munhyuk, IM and Shownu. The first three threw smiles his way but Shownu merely nodded. Behind them, people in a variety of clothing were stretched out on beanbags, on the carpeted floor, even on a hammock. Jooheon called them all to attention.

“This is Wonho, he’s a new recruit and very likely to join the team based on what I saw in the training arena today”. He threw a quick smile at Hoseok before continuing, “Starting from the left, Wonho, that’s Taehyung, Jaebum, Hao, Han, Joon and Ravi. You’ve already met the ones at the round table.

"You might have noticed we don’t have any women or, in fact, anyone who identifies as female. This is because we have a mirrored team run by women and those who identify, but they’ve got their own facilities and train differently. The point is to play to strengths and combine forces on the field, but I think that ’combine forces’ thing hasn’t happened in some… 12 years?” A series of nods and ‘yes’s went around the room. “I guess nothing catastrophic enough has happened to get the Arma Dei on the field”.

“Everyone in this room except Shownu is a Fighter. Shownu’s here as the Hand because he leads the Fighters when it comes to strategy and is the first to share plans.”

With that, Jooheon sat down at the nearest chair, motioning for Hoseok to sit beside him. The room went dark but the screens lit up with photos of a rugged landscape with no buildings in sight.

“This is Solidar, on the outskirts of the border of Ozyovaya,” Shownu said, walking to the centre of the room. “It doesn’t look like much in these images. But the intelligence IM has gathered tells us that, under all this stone and dust, there is a tactical surveillance centre that has been built. And it is here that our next target is.

"Valar Sequoiya, the ringleader of Sihfalusa Chemical Arms Corporation.” He paused, looking at each person for effect before continuing.

“This is a dangerous mission, maybe a little less compared to the ones certain people embarked on recently, but still dangerous.” Hoseok couldn’t see Jooheon’s face but he smirked at the muffled ‘shit’ from near his left shoulder. “But it involves being an extension, rather than free-thinkers. That means no sudden moves, no arms show-off. This is a tactical fight, and IM will lead it. You will just follow.”

The screens shifted, this time rolling through a blueprint of what looked like an underground facility. “Here is the rough map we’ve drawn up. They’ve all been sent to your systems. Remember it, sear it into your brain. All tech apart from primitive walkie talkies will be jammed in that facility, so all you have to guide you is your memory and a little Venenum.”

A collective gasp went around the room. “Venenum?” Kihyun asked, sitting up straight in his chair. “You’re authorising the use? But Hyungwon–“

“Hyungwon knows very well what we plan to do, and he has sanctioned it. And he’s _Regis_ to you,” Shownu said coldly. “There are a few people in this room who don’t know what Venenum is”. The blueprints dissolved into the picture of a clear bottle, a man in Fighter gear popping it open and putting a pill into his mouth.

“Venenum, in a nutshell, overrides your bodily control. With Venenum, you become a pawn on the chessboard, your brain and nervous system shut off from your command and transferred to the Controller. In this case, it is IM.

"With Waksman waves, IM will control every single neuron in your body, reacting to the situation as he sees fit from his Control Room. It is complete surrender, no room for human errors. But only one person will go for the kill, free of Venenum and free of any protection.”

The lights flickered on, throwing shocked faces into sharp relief. Even Hoseok, who had only spent a few days here, realised the magnitude of what Shownu was saying. They were being made into robots.

IM looked uncomfortable, considering he was the one to control this ‘chessboard’. “Look, guys, I know this is real scary stuff. But you must absolutely believe me when I say that I’ve been thinking every possible situation through and planning a way out. There’s literally no way I would jeopardise any one of your lives, I will bet my life on it.

"I hate being put in this position but I can guarantee you that I am the safest option you have with Venenum in your system.”

“And who is executing?” A low voice came from the corner of the table. Minhyuk fixed his steely gaze on Shownu. “Tell me, Shownu, who is the pawn in this ‘game within the game’ you’re playing? Who is going for the kill without Venenum in their system, with full control of their body and full passage to death?”

Shownu’s eyes flitted across the room before coming to rest on one person.

“Why, your brave battle commander, of course. Jooheon.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> How are you folks liking this?


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